Friday, May 17, 2013

More Than Tires and Blimps: The Akron Art Museum's Online Collections

When you think of art museums, you probably don't think of Akron, Ohio.  And when you think of Akron (if you do at all), you might only remember that it's where Goodyear is headquartered.  But I discovered recently that Akron does in fact have an art museum - one with some fairly significant works (like Andy Warhol's silkscreened Elvis) and a rather impressive online presence.

The Online Collections of the Akron Art Musuem contain selected works from fifteen different genres the museum displays, most of which are within the realm of modern art.  There are also currently three sections devoted to new works within the museum, each focusing on a different artist.  Each exhibit contains several dozen pieces, with the museum providing the title and composition for each one along with a brief description that provides information on the artist and locates the work within the context of its movement.  The amount of information provided is really great - the descriptions are engaging, informative, and neither too long nor too jargon-y.  Visitors to the online collections can also view additional, cross-referenced information on each artist as well as share artworks via Facebook or email.

What I like most about these online collections, however, is their sense of both ambition and realism.
According to the online collection's opening page, their goal is to eventually have all the museum's artworks up for display on the internet.  They acknowledge that the physical museum's gallery space constraints allow for "only a fraction"of the objects they hold to be displayed at any one time.  I really admire their willingness to be open with the public about where the majority of their collections spend most of their time while in the museum's ownership, as well as their desire to make the most of the limitlessness an online collection could provide to the public.

In all, I think the Akron Art Museum could be a model for how art museums can make themselves more accessible to a wider audience while also making the entirety of their holdings viewable.  Sure, this museum probably has many fewer objects than many well-known art institutions, but it has a staff of less than thirty.  If they can produce such an impressive online collection, with plans to digitize everything in the hazy future, then surely this level of presentation and information is duplicable for other, more well-resourced organizations.

I look forward to the Akron Art Museum becoming a leader in this field.


The Akron Art Museum's Online Collection
Website:  www.akronartmuseum.org/collection

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